Knock, knock... (36 page)

There was only one purpose for energy like that.

Murder.

***

Over an hour later, Shay headed back to Pappy's room to say good-bye. She didn't know what the normal procedure was in these cases, but as she'd initially informed a policeman who'd been standing at the nurses' center, She'd been asked to give a statement, just in case. She had no problem giving her version of the event. She really had nothing to tell.

Nothing that she could tell law enforcement.

With Roman at her side, she gave her grandfather a gentle hug and kiss goodnight. "I hope you're feeling better in the morning."

She followed Roman to the door.

Pappy called out as they were leaving, "Shay, could I speak with you for just a moment?"

She rushed back over. "What's the matter; aren't you feeling well?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I just want you to know that I spoke to my lawyer today. Made a few changes to my will."

She grinned. "That's nothing new. You do that every few months or so."

He smiled gently. "I do, but that's because I never know when my old heart is going to give out. I want to make sure everything is taken care of."

"You're not dying, and when you do go, it won't matter anymore because you'll be gone." She chuckled.

"Don't be cheeky," he chided her gently with their old joke. "I'm not going any time soon. I know that. But I do want you taken care of before then. So my question is: how is the relationship with Roman?"

She flushed and laughed lightly. "Fine."

"He's a good man."

"I know." She didn't know where he was going with this, but she knew he had something to get off his chest.

"I thought you two would be good together."

"Are you matchmaking?"

"No. I need to tell you. I gave him a picture a long time ago. A couple of years ago at least. Of you. From some family gathering. Thought maybe he'd be interested in meeting you."

She tilted her head and frowned.
Interesting.
Roman hadn't mentioned it. Then why would he? Besides, for all she knew, Pappy had sent the picture after she and Roman had started chatting anyway. "Okay...I don't know why you would have, but that's fine."

Relief washed over his face. "Good. I've been worrying over that for a long time. I should have asked you before giving it to him, but..."

"But you forgot."

"And Bernice told me not to tell you."

Bernice? Shay laughed. "Now that figures. She was trying to match the two of us at the end too."

Pappy smiled. "Maybe this is one time you should listen to your elders."

Her grin widened. "And maybe it's not."

She brushed her lips against his papery cheek, hating that such a thing had been eating away at him. He was precious to her.

And she had to protect him.

***

Roman drove home through the busy streets in a deeply contemplative mood. Finally, needing to understand, he asked, "How do you know it's the same energy?"

She gave a long, heavy sigh. "Energy is like DNA. Individual to each person. Once I see an energy signature, I can recognize the look, the feel of it again. There's a familiarity or sense of knowing that is hard to miss." She settled back. "In this case, as I not only saw it, but was touched by it, I know how this energy also feels. And the same person who attacked me at the cemetery killed that poor woman."

"And your cousin, Marie, and David, and possibly several other people? That can never be proven."

"Exactly. Look at what Stefan is up against. How can the police stop someone they can't see? How can they believe a crime was committed when there is no physical evidence?"

"There's a dead body," he countered.

She slid him a sideways look he caught from the corner of his eye. "A dead body that will show up in the autopsy as having had a heart attack – ergo, death by natural causes."

"How can so many people die of natural causes?"

"Thousands of people die every day from natural causes. And millions die every year from heart attacks. That's why an attack like this is so easy to get away with."

He couldn't argue with that, but he wanted to, damn it. How often did things like this happen in the world? With everyone oblivious, shaking their heads. "We have to do something."

She nodded, and then leaned her head back against the headrest and said, "We are."

"You and Stefan?"

"Yes."

Stefan again. "I want to help." He frowned. "What can I do?"

"I'm not sure there is anything you can do."

He drove the car around a corner. In a thoughtful voice, he said, "Can you trace this energy to a person?"

"We're trying to. Stefan picks up a thread of the energy on the ethers and then tracks it back, but he says in this case it's almost like the energy changes, morphs into something else, and then he loses it at that point. It's not a visual path in the way that you or I would think, but an inner vision, so the trail can be lost easily."

"And lost because someone is hiding?" He watched as she fumbled with her phone. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Calling your brother." She moved it away from her head and turned on her speaker phone. "Hi Ronin, anything new?"

"Actually maybe. We've tracked the brother to Seattle, where we have a last known address. He had a girlfriend – on again, off again. Apparently, she was questioned about him today but said she hasn't seen him for a year or so."

"A year?" Shay’s mind spun on the possibilities. Surely that timeframe was no coincidence?

"I'm working to track his movements from their point of departure. I'll keep you updated." He coughed. "How's my brother doing these days?"

Shay glanced over at Roman. "He's fine."

"And how are you and my brother?"

Shay coughed with obvious embarrassment. "All is well. Thanks, Ronin. Keep in touch."

Roman drove his BMW into his underground parking at home, stopping to key in the code to open the gate, then drove into his parking spot. He turned off his engine and turned to face her as she finished her call. She hopped out of the car and walked toward the elevators. Roman shook his head. Talk about determined.

He laughed, caught up and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I wanted to show you my place."

She raised an eyebrow. "Good. Have you got new paintings? I'd love to see them."

"Not the latest. Those are at the gallery."

He joined her at the elevator and punched in the number.

She watched, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Penthouse?"

"I like my space." That's all he said as the elevator rose. The doors opened, and he led the way to a single door in front. He unlocked and pushed it open, letting her inside.

"Nice." She walked in, her eyes locking on the artwork covering the wall. "These are beautiful." He stood in the hallway and admired her as she wandered the large open space admiring the art.

"Some older pieces. Glad you like them."

She smiled, a look that lit her up from the inside. "It's spectacular."

"You're spectacular," he said softly. "Truly."

Her smile warmed. She walked toward him. "Thank you." She reached up and placed a light kiss on his lips. He snatched her up and lowered his head to kiss her with the intensity he'd kept locked inside all day.

She purred in his arms. He deepened the kiss, shifting her slightly to allow better possession of her mouth. He could never get enough of this woman. She was so special. So his.

***

Shay stepped closer, wanting to be inside his mind and body. She needed this man like no other. It didn't matter that she'd said ‘never again.’ They were words spoken before she'd understood what was waiting for her. She'd have raced toward her future if she'd known. Roman was her future. She just needed him to be comfortable with his present, and with her.

And one perfect way to do that was right here and now.

She stepped back and smiled up at him. And her fingers went to her blue cotton shirt. She undid the buttons as he watched – a gleam lighting his eyes. His hands hurriedly unbuttoned, unhooked, and undid his clothing, tossing clothes from where he stood. Minutes later, they were both nude in the living room. Standing, staring at each other, with enough heat steaming from their bodies to make her skin glow.

He was a magnificent animal. Tall, muscled, so masculine. She didn't think he worked out but rather thought he was blessed with a natural grace and form that most men would die to have. She reached up and unclipped her long hair, shaking it free around her shoulders, then took one step closer. She reached out a finger and stroked over the lean muscles of his chest, her finger running a long, teasing stroke that ended at a nasty ragged scar over his ribs. His bullet wound. She couldn't resist; she leaned forward and dropped a kiss on the hardened center. He hissed.

"You're going to have to tell me about that sometime," she murmured.

She pulled back slightly, a smile on her face.

"Later." He opened his arms and she stepped into them.

***

Early Wednesday morning…

Hours later, Shay woke up refreshed and energized. Roman slumbered, face down beside her. His arm was flung across her belly. What time was it? She couldn't see a clock from her position. There was a gray light to the room, so she guessed it was probably early morning. She wiggled upright and slipped out from under him. She needed a drink and was too wired to go back to sleep.

A couple of folded t-shirts lay on Roman's dresser. She tossed one over her head, almost laughing when it came to mid-thigh on her. She gave a curious glance around.

She'd never seen his place and she was wanted to take a peek. The walls in the bedroom were a light, soothing mocha with sharp white trim. His bedding, so similar to hers included a huge duvet in a rich deep chocolate with lighter stripes, now rumpled into a ball at the bottom of his massive bed.

The atmosphere was light and breezy and satisfaction oozed from the bedroom. And she smiled. She loved being with Roman, and she was seriously thinking that she might be in love with him – maybe even past thinking about it.

She walked through to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water from the tap, loving the open spacious feeling and the bright tiles on the floor. As she sipped, she wandered around his penthouse. She'd never considered what type of home he'd have, but appreciated that this suited him perfectly.

There was a large solarium that opened up on the left that appeared to be part workroom and part sitting room. The art on the walls there, sprawled into another room that was filled with paints and easels. She wandered through the large room, loving the pictures. The half light added shadows to the images, highlighting various parts and hiding others. And there she was. That they were all the same model only reaffirmed her belief. She hoped one day Roman would share who this woman was that had grabbed his passion and held on so tightly.

And explain the relationship he had with her.

She was stunning. But his skill made her even more so. He expressed so much in so few strokes. Her profile, shoulders, everything created with minimal paint.

The blue accents on some of the pictures intrigued her.

On some of the paintings there was almost a sheen, a blue air around the central figure. Like an aura? Unusual and intriguing.

And yet the painting sitting off to the side was thick and almost three-dimensional. It held so much paint. She wouldn't have been surprised to hear that he'd carved it instead of painted it.

Fascinated. She stood back and paused. Tilted her head again. Backed up as far as she could go.

She gasped.

Inside, her heart jolted, stilled for a long moment, and then raced forward.

No.
The lines were so familiar. But it couldn't be. Wasn’t possible.

A soft laugh filled the air. She spun around. But she was alone. Turning back around, she caught a glimpse of something. A fragrance…cinnamon, maybe whispered through the room.
Of course it is. Do you really not know?

She gasped. "Bernice?"

That same warm laughter.

Shay laughed too. "Aren't you supposed to be off in the light, doing things that dead people do?"

I will soon. When I know Charles is fine. Until then, I'm here. Then again, as he hasn't got long anyway, I might just stick around.
Bernice laughed.
He'd like that.

Even though Shay hated the thought of her grandfather dying, she had to smile at the thought of Bernice staying close until then. Pappy would be tickled. "I'm glad to hear he has a guardian angel. Thank you for helping him."